


Without You

by gayliensav



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 01:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10843662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayliensav/pseuds/gayliensav
Summary: When Jesus is taken on a run, he realizes just how much they need each other.





	Without You

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't interpret this fic as a romantic one. Paul and Maggie are close friends and Paul is gay.

It happened during the war.

Things were starting to heat up, everyone was losing track of each other. He’d been...taken. Apparently Gregory had followed through on his threat. When he was telling Simon that someone wanted to take over, Simon thought that Gregory meant him and not Maggie.

Now, it wasn’t that they were actively trying to take over the Hilltop, it was practically happening on it’s own.

But that didn’t seem to matter to them. They thought the scout was trying to take over Hilltop and overthrow their lacky, so they took him. The moment Negan got a good look at who he was, he laughed. He laughed because he’d seen him with Rick so many times.

“Rick put you up to this?” Negan asked, looking down at him, “Wants more numbers, gets someone like you to take over?”

“Do you ever stop talking about Rick?” Paul had snorted.

Yeah, apparently Negan didn’t like it when his prisoners mouthed off.

So it went on about a week, he was stuck in a cell with music blaring in his ears. He couldn’t sleep, he refused to eat what they were trying to feed him. He was counting the days by the light that came under the door each day. An average human about his height and weight could probably survive up to three weeks without food. Water, that was a different story. He knew it was possibly to survive eight to ten days without that, but that was if you were lucky and in pretty good shape.

Needless to say when someone finally opened the door that wasn’t a Savior, he was happy to see them.

“Christ,” the familiar accent of Daryl Dixon spat out when he saw him. He leaned out of the door to yell something that Paul couldn’t make out before turning back, “Man, can you get up?”

Paul made an attempt, he really did. By the time he got passed getting up to his knees, he collapsed back down.

"Hang on,” Daryl told him, “Gonna pick ya up, okay? We got a truck waitin’ outside and we’re gettin’ you and the doc outta here. He can check you out on the way.”

Paul nodded, wincing slightly when Daryl picked him up, one arm going behind his back and the other going under his knees.

“Not the way I imagined being in your arms for the first time,” Paul laughed weakly, making the archer just roll his eyes and grumble a “shut up” under his breath as he jogged out of the building.  
He blinked in shock when he saw so many people out there. People from the Hilltop, from Alexandria, and the Kingdom.

Maggie was here.

Maggie shouldn't be here.

He looked up and saw the absolute look of devastation on his friend’s face. He wasn't sure why.

“He's fine,” Daryl called to her, “Get in the front, we’re takin’ ‘em back to the Hilltop!”

Paul winced when he was layed down in the metal bed of the truck. The light was burning his eyes and the truck was just about as comfortable as the concrete floor.

“Shit, Jesus,” Carson said, leaning over him, “Just hang on. We’ll get back to Hilltop and I’ll get supplies and check you out,” he told him. He started talking to someone else, but he didn’t pay any attention. The next thing he knew, the doctor was pressing a bottle of water to his lips.

“Drink slow,” Carson advised, “Don’t make yourself sick.”

“Wouldn’t have anything to make myself sick with,” Paul laughed weakly, sitting up the best he could as he took two long gulps of water, breathing heavily.

Everything went fine. He was dehydrated and malnourished but that wasn't a huge shock to him. Hilltop was happy to see him back. Eduardo snuck him fresh vegetables from the garden, Ms. Mablin brought him some fruit, and he even got an extra blanket from the stock in the med trailer. They wanted to keep him over there, but he insisted on going back. Harlan needed to rest and then he wanted to see how much Gregory managed to screw up his patients. He also protested to being put in the bed, since that was where Maggie and Enid had been sleeping.

He'd been taking the couch since Sasha…

But anyways, Eduardo insisted on putting him in bed and making sure he was okay before leaving.

Maggie came in a couple minutes after Eduardo left. For a moment, she just stood in the doorway, looking at him, before she finally came inside.

Paul quickly wiped off his face with a napkin and sat the bowl of fruit aside, “Hey,” he said, smiling weakly.

“Hey,” Maggie said, but she wasn't smiling.

Paul swallowed, “Look, I know you're probably mad-”

“Why the hell would I be mad, Jesus?” Maggie demanded, cutting him off, leaning on the table.

“Well, me getting taken certainly put a setback on our plans. On top of all the supplies and manpower you wasted coming to get me. Gas is scarce-” Paul started rattling off. This time Maggie didn't cut him off verbally, but the glare on her face was a pretty good indication that he should probably stop talking.

“You're worth more ta me than all that,” Maggie mumbled, looking down at the floor, swallowed.

Paul froze, staring at her. He wasn't used to this...someone truly caring about him. He'd never had that before.

“I coulda lost someone else,” Maggie said, her voice shaky now, “I coulda lost you.”

Paul went to say something, but it just felt like his words were catching in his throat. Maggie was there, in front of him, breaking down because...she was worried about him.

Maggie took a shaky breath, “When he brought you out like that...how he was holdin’ you a-and you weren't movin’. It was like Beth all over again,” she whispered.

“I'm here now,” Paul told her, “I'm not going anywhere.”

Maggie didn't make eye contact with him, she didn't even say anything.

Paul stood up, feeling slightly dizzy as he did, and walked over to her. He put his hand on her shoulder hesitantly before pulling her into a hug.

Maggie froze for a moment before returning it, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her head fell to his shoulder and they just stood there, unmoving for a few moments. Paul could feel her shaking and he felt that she was crying on his shoulder, but he didn't say anything.

“Christ,” Maggie said, finally pulling away. She wiped her eyes, sniffling a little, “Get back in bed before ya fall over. Stop worryin’ about me.”

Paul laughed weakly and scooted over, “You should lay here.”

Maggie stared at him.

“Look, you're not letting me leave the bed and I'm not letting a pregnant woman sleep on that couch. It's uncomfortable,” Paul snorted, “Not like I'd try anything anyways. You're not exactly my type."

Maggie let out a week laugh, taking off her shoes. She moved slowly as they got on the other side of the bed. The bed was small, but the two were still barely touching.

"I can't lose no one else,” Maggie whispered suddenly, breaking the silence, “Not you.”

“You won't lose me,” Paul told her, “And I won't lose you.”

Maggie finally gave him a weak smile, “I don't know what I'd ever do without you.”

“Well, you'll never have to find out,” Paul told her, shrugging, “Sorry, you're stuck with me.”

Maggie just huffed out another weak laugh, closing her eyes, “I don't mind at all.”

* * *

When Enid got back to the trailer that night, she smiled when she saw the two of them both asleep in bed.

She moved slowly and quietly, grabbing one of the extra blankets and throwing it over them before lying down on the couch. 


End file.
